smith



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J E. SMITH. CIGAR BUNGHING MAGHINE.

No. 405,439. Patented June 18, 1889.

WITNESSES: 'IIVV TOR W 9 4- M %N 4 www- A TTORNEY (No Model.) 3 sheets -sheet 2.

, J. E. TH. CIGAR BUNG MACHINE.

No. 405,439. Patented June 18, 1889.

WITNESSES E A TTORNYEY (No Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 3., J. E. SMITH. CIGAR BUNGHING MACHINE.

No. 405,439. Patented June 18; 1889.,

WITNESSES.- K

"I I r 4! INVENTOR I W4 BY A TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES EDIVARD SMITH, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF TYVO-THIRDS TO ADOLPH MOONELIS AND BENJAMIN LIOIITENSTEIN, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,439, dated June 18, 1889.

Application filed June 28, 1888. Serial No. 278,466- (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES EDWARD SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oigar-Bunching Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in IO the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

r 5 My present invention relates to improvements in cigar-bun ching machines of the class shown in my prior applications, filed November 7, 1887, and May 19, 1888, and bearing Se rial Nos. 254,666 and 274,400, respectively.

The first part of my present invention rclates to a device for automatically closing the bight in the rollingapron after the binder has been placed on said apron and the filler deposited on the binder and apron by the ver- 2 5 tically-reciprocating plunger of the machine shown in my prior applications. By thus positively closing the bight in the rollingapron before the front or bunching roller of the rocking arm arrives over the cavity in the rolling-table the tiller is effectually prevented from scattering or throwing on the binder, and the tobacco composing the filler is held in better alignment and position than has heretofore been the case when the bight in 5 the apron has been closed solely by the pressure or bunching rollers of the rocking arm.

The second part of my invention contemplates a novel rolling-table having a continuous series of vertical yielding bristles or projections which extend upwardly from the rigid top of the table to form a yielding upper surface of a pliable or yielding nature on one or both sides of the cavity therein, against which yielding surface the bight in the apron and the contents of said bight are forced or pressed by the pressure or bunching rollers of the rocking arm in rolling the binder around the bunch and pressing the latter. By providing this yielding surface of the character mentioned on the rolling-table the binder and bunch, together with the bight in the apron,

have a tendency to rise up slightly above the lower convex face of the front presser-roller, and thus keep the filler from scattering, the binder hugs or lies more closely to the rolling- 5 5 table and the binder or bunch is not liable to become torn or broken, and it is not essential that the apron shall be adjusted each time different-sized bunches are made in order to accommodate said varying sizes, as the yielding surface of the rolling-table tends to keep the bunch tight and yields or gives to any undue pressure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cigar-bunching machine, showing the plunger lowered and in the act of depositing the filler in the cavity of the rolling-table. Fig. 2 is a sumlar view of a part of the machine with the rocking arm and the pressure or bunching 7o rollers carried thereon in section and showing the arm advanced and the bight in the apron closed. Fig. 3 is a View corresponding to Fig. 2 with the bunch elevated from the cavity in the rolling-table and arranged between the pressure or b'unching rollers and upon the yielding surface of the rolling table. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken centrally through the rollin g-table to more clearly show the position of the device for closing the bight in the apron when the plunger deposlts the filler on the apron in the cavity of the rolling-table. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional View corresponding to Fig. 4:, showing the position of the device for closing the bight in the apron after the bight in the apron has been closed and before the device is operated by the rocking arm to release the apron preparatory tothe bunch being elevated out of the cavity of the rolling-table by the pressure or bunching rollers. Fig. 6 is a detached per spective viewof the device that automatically closes the bight in the apron.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures. In the drawings, A designates the main table; B, the rolling-table having a cavity 19 therein arranged in vertical alignment with an opening (not shown) in the main table A, through which the verticallyreciprocating Ioo plunger 0 passes to. deposit the filler on the rolling-apron and in the cavity in the rollingtable. The tobacco to form the fillers is placed in a hopper, (indicated at D in Fig. 1 and shown more clearly in my prior application, Serial No. 274,400,) from which hop per it is fed to a mold on a reciprocating carriage, (not shown,) by which it is conveyed to the opening in the main table, through which the plunger passes to carry the tobacco from a mold to the cavity 6.

E is the rocking arm, which is bifurcated at its upper end, as at e, and these bifurcated portions e carry the presser or bunching rollers E, which are arranged above the upper surface of the rolling-table and are spaced a suitable distance'apart for the reception between them of the bight of the apron and the bunch contained therein.-

The upper face of the rolling-table is convex or curved longitudinally from end to end thereof, and over this curved face of the table lies the rolling-apron F, which is secured at its ends directly to the ends of the table in any preferred manner.

I will now proceed to describe the special features of my invention which are made the subject-matter of the present application, it being understood that the primary elements of the machine, as hereinbefore described, are the same as that shown and forming the subject-matter of my prior applications.

To automatically close the bight in the rolling-apron immediately after the filler has been deposited on the binder within the cavity of the rolling-table, and before the rocking arm swings forward to elevate the bight of the apron and the contents thereof from said cavity, I provide a movable grip G, which is preferably made in the form of a swinging plate that is arranged within the cavity of the rolling-table on a plane below the upper face thereof, so that the pressure or bunching rollers of the rocking arm can travel across said table without striking the grip. The gripplate is mounted on or secured to a rock-shaft g, which is suitably supported or journaled at its ends at the sides of the rolling-table, and said grip-plate is curved transversely, as indicated more clearly in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, to assist in giving the filler that forms the bunch the desired cylindrical contour. This pivot or rock-shaft of the grip-plate is arranged substantially in the vertical line of movement of the reciprocating plunger, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, and to prevent the plunger from striking the body of the grip-plate when the former descends the grip-plate is normally thrown or moved by the device presently described to one side of the path of movement of the plunger, and yet it is held in such close juxtaposition to the plunger when the latter is at the limit of its downstroke that the bight in the apron impinges against the grip-plate when the apron is forced into the cavity of the rolling-table by the plunger in its downward stroke.

I prefer to automatically close the grip against the apron by a gravity-pawl, which is arranged below the rolling-table and connected with said grip-plate. This gravitypawl H is pivoted near one end to a depending fulcrum-block H, which is .fixed in the under side of the rolling-table near the cavity therein, and the short arm of this gravity-pawl is connected by an intermediate link h to the grip-plate, as shown more clearly in Fig.6. The longer arm of the gravity-pawl is made quite heavy, so as to positively force or press the grip-plate against the apron, and said heavy arm of the pawl is arranged in the path of the rocking arm, so as to be automatically controlled by the said rocking arm to alternately operate the grip and sustain it in a stationary position. The heavy arm of the gravity-pawl is arranged to fit between the bifur cated arms 6 of the rocking arm, and the lower edge of the pawl strikes against and rides on the base of the fork or bifurcated portion of the rocking arm. The gravity-pawl and rocking arm are relatively arranged and combined to hold the pawl raised before the rocking arm swings forward and during the descent of the plunger to deposit the filler in the bight of the apron; but as soon as the plunger begins its upward stroke the rocking arm commences to swing forward, which thereby allows the pawl to drop by gravity and instantly press the grip-plate forward upon the bight in the apron and hold said plate in this position to close the throat or open space in the upper part of the bight, thereby effectually preventing the filler from scatterin gor throwing on the binder. The parts are held in these positions while the rocking arm advances over the table, and as soon as the front presser or bunching roller thereof reaches the cavity the bight in. the apron and the filler are elevated out of the cavity-and forced into the space between the two presser or bunching rollers, the grip and gravity-pawl moving freely on their pivots to permit thebight and its contents to be raised. The rocking arm carries the bunch to the op posite end of the table from whence the arm started, meanwhile rolling the binder (which was placed by hand on the rolling-apron previous to the descent of the plunger) around the bunch ,and pressing the latter to the desired extent. After depositing the bunch in a suitable receptacle at one end of the rolling-table the rocking arm returns to its normal position at the opposite end of the table, the gravity-pawl being raised by said arm on its return movement to hold the grip-plate in position for one side of the bight of the rolling-apron to rest against the gripplate on the succeeding downstroke of the plunger. The pressure or bunching rollers of the rocking arm act upon the bunch only about one-half the length of the rolling-table, and after the rollers have elevated the bight out of the cavity and passed the latter. This portion of the rolling-table, on which the rolling and pressing of the bunchis accomplished, is designated by the letter I, and in order to keep the filler from scattering 011 the binder at the commencement of the rolling operation immediately after the filler has been raised out of the cavity in the rolling-table, and to hold the binder in a smooth and uniform condition, as well as to avoid injury to the binder and bunch, which is liable to take place when 7 a hard smooth surface is provided for the apron and binder to ride upon, I provide said side I of the rolling-table with a yielding surface J This yielding surface I prefer to make of bristles, as indicated in the drawings, which are suitably secured in place on the table and extend for a suitable distance above the latter. This yielding surface I have found in the practical operation of a cigar-bunching machine to be very efficient, as the bristles readily yield or give to the passage of the apron and bunch to avoid injury to the latter and the binder, and they immediately resume their normal raised posit-ions, thereby having a tendency to raise the bight in the apron above the lower convex face of the front presser or bunehing roller, which keeps the apron taut and insures the proper rolling and pressing of the bunch.

The operation and advantages of my im provements will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which my invention relates from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A cigar-bunching machine of the class described, having a movable grip located within a eavityin which the bight of an apron is formed, said grip pressing automatically against the bight in the apron immediately after the filler is deposited therein, and thereby closing the throat or open space in the bight of said apron, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combi nation, with a rolling-table having a cavity therein, an apron, and a plunger, of a movable grip housed within the cavity of the rolling-table and adapted to press against the bight in the apron immediately after the filler has been deposited therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with a rolling-table having a cavity therein, an apron, and a plunger, of a mov able grip housed within the cavity of the rolling-t-able, remaining normally at rest during the descent of the plunger to depositthe filler 011 the apron, and devices for automatically forcing the grip against the bight in the apron on the upstroke of the plunger, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with a rolling-table having a cavity therein, an apron, a plunger, and a rocking arm carrying the pressing or bunching rolls, of a movable grip arranged in said cavity and remaining at rest while the plunger descends and deposits a filler in a bight in the apron,

and devices operated by the rocking arm for positively moving said grip against the bight in the apron on the upstroke of the plunger, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with a rolling-table having a cavity therein, an apron, and a plunger, of a movable grip housed within the cavity in the rolling-table and having its pivot arranged substantially in the vertical line of movement of the plunger and at a point below the lower limit of the downstroke of said plunger, and devices for holding the body of the grip at rest, out of the path ofthe plunger,.and for closing the grip against the bight in the apron immediately after the filler has been deposited therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

(3. In a cigar-bunchingmachine, the combination, with a rolling-table having a cavity therein, an apron, and a plunger, of a pivoted grip housed within thecavity of the rollingtable, and a gravity-pawl connected to said grip for opening it, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with a rollingtable, an apron, and a plunger, of a movable pivoted grip housed within the cavity of the rolling-table, and a gravity-pawl connected to the grip and arranged in the path of the rocking arm, to be elevated thereby when said arm is at rest at one end of the table, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with a rolling table, an apron, and a plunger, of a transversely-curved and pivoted grip located within the cavity of the rollingtable, a gravity-pawl supported on a depending fulcrum-block and connected with the grip, and a rockingarm adapted to raise the gravity-pawl and close the grip, said pawl being pivoted at an intermediate point of its length and having the heavy end thereof arranged in the path of a rocking arm, substantially as described.

9. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of a rigid rolling-table having a cavity in its middle, and the upper surface thereof at one side of said cavity entirely covered with a continuous series of vertical yielding bristles or projections which provide a compressible yielding surface for the apron to impinge against, an apron connected to the table, a plunger, and a rocking arm carrying the pressing or bunching devices arranged to swing over the cavity and elevate the bight in the apron and iiller upon the yielding surface of the rolling-table, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES EDXVARD SMITH.

Witnesses:

ADOLPH MOONELIS, SAML. M. IIorKINs. 

